Celebrating the independent spirit.

Festival Files: ‘It Came From Dallas 10’

As someone perennially interested in regional filmmaking and tired of all those palm tree or East Coast concrete jungle settings in movies, the idea behind “It Came From Dallas” sounds like an ‘eyetastic’ event! And, because it takes place on Thursday, February 23rd at the Richardson Alamo Drafthouse, I can’t imagine a more entertaining and conducive atmosphere to soak up the B-movie ‘gloriousness’ the event always delivers:

“It Came From Dallas 10” is the Dallas Producers Association’s 10th celebratory gesture towards filmmaking and filmmakers in North Texas. If you’ve never experienced it, you’ll walk away from the evening’s showcase, scratching your head and asking, “Did someone actually get to produce those things?”

“It Came From Dallas was created to not only honor the trailblazers of the Dallas film industry, but also to serve as an annual Dallas Producers Association fundraiser that helps benefit the Texas Motion Picture Alliance, a group founded by DPA which has been integral in supporting the Texas Moving Image Industry Rebate Program. Over the years, it has been responsible for bringing film and television production jobs to Texas, as well a benefitting in-state producers, too and encouraging them to keep the work at home.

The event kicked off in 2005 with a look back at Dallas’ glorious B-movie past including hysterical clips and trailers from films such as The Giant Gila Monster, Rock Baby Rock It, The Killer Shrews and Don’t Look in the Basement. Shows in subsequent years have included clips from commercials and documentaries produced in Dallas and put the spotlight on many of the more prestigious motion pictures to film in North Texas.

For this latest version of It Came From Dallas, the show’s producers have compiled a jam-packed retrospective featuring “The Best Of” It Came From Dallas’ nine previous incarnations.

In addition, a traditional highlight of the evening’s proceedings will continue with the presentation of the Dallas Producers Association’s Film Pioneer Award. The recipients of this prestigious award will be Kathy Tyner of the KD Conservatory and Robert G. Redd (posthumously).

A good time for all is guaranteed when you come to realize that It Came From Dallas. Seriously!”